Annual Charity Bonfire & Fireworks
2004
The Sele
FIREWORKS GO WITH BANG FOR GOOD CAUSES

Published on Friday, November 12th 2004 in The Hexham Courant
HELEN COMPSON
THE charity coffers are bulging this week after Hexham Round Table had its most successful bonfire night yet.
With the mild weather playing in its favour, thousands poured onto the Sele on Saturday night – throwing money into collection buckets as they went.
More than £15,000 was raised on the night, including the money raised from selling food and glow bands.
The bulk of it, after expenses have been deducted, will be distributed among charities in Tynedale.
Award-winning pyrotechnicists Kimbolton Fireworks, the UK's only manufacturer of fireworks for professional displays, certainly lived up to expectations.
After lighting up the night sky over Hexham with cascades of sparkling colour – and a grand-finale that stood testament to the level of technology now applied to fireworks – the crowd showed its appreciation by erupting into a spontaneous round of applause.
Already warmed by a huge bonfire, sated with hot-dogs, and cheered by the lively music of the Sunshine Panners steel band, they went home replete.
Hexham Round Table chairman Simon Curry said: “People travelled from far and wide for this event – people came in from Newcastle and Carlisle, among other places.
“I don’t think a lot of people realise that this event pays for itself.
“We put aside some of the money we raise from one year’s bonfire to pay for the following year’s fireworks display.
“We also do street collections on the run up to the event to help cover costs.
“This isn’t paid for by the council or any business sponsorship, so we are always pleased when it goes off well.
“We’ve had a lot of good feedback.
“Next year’s event will be bigger and better still, because it is the 400th anniversary of Guy Fawkes’ attempt to blow up Parliament.
“November 5 also falls on a Saturday, so that will be perfect.
“What I would say to people, though, is that we need to make sure we have enough people to keep running the bonfire event, so we would welcome any new members who would like to come along and get involved.”
For members of the Round Table and Hexham Ladies’ Circle, Saturday started early and finished late.
While the men built the bonfire, put up safety barriers and constructed the food stalls, the women prepared over 1,000 bread rolls and 60lbs of onions for the hot-dogs, boiled up gallons of soup and stocked the stalls with snacks.
The Ladies’ Circle food stall alone raised almost £1,500.
The crowds had long gone by the time they had taken everything back down again, but the night wasn’t over yet.
It was the early hours of the morning before the Tablers and Circlers had finished counting, bagging and weighing the money ready for banking.
During the past three years alone, the local charities that have benefited include Tynedale Hospice, Brave Hearts of the North-East, the Calvert Trust, StopGap, the Rainbow Trust, and a refuge for mothers and children facing domestic violence.
This year, as they did last year, members invited a local charity to man one of the food stalls at the bonfire.
The Tynedale branch of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign did so, and raised £650 for its own funds.
A Round Table spokesman said they wished to thank a number of sponsors for their support, namely Fourstones Paper Mill, Safeway, Patterson Ford, Lords Tool Hire, Aerosystech, North Acomb Farm, Hexham Police and Fire Services, and Tynedale Council.